Sunday, November 3, 2013

Canada to host Scotland in Toronto in June 2014

BMO Field in Toronto will be the setting for Canada v Scotland in 2014

Following the confirmation from USA Rugby on October 23 that Scotland will be playing a test in Houston in June 2014 it has now been confirmed that Canada will also host Scotland and do so on June 14. During the match at BMO Field today between Canada and the Maori All Blacks it was announced that Scotland will be playing Canada in a test match at the same venue.

The BMO field is to be one of three tests in June for the Canadians with there also set to be tests against Japan and the USA in the Pacific Nations Cup. The test against the Europeans is therefore going to be the biggest home match of the year and it sees Rugby Canada continue to focus its home matches in the country´s largest city.

Rugby Canada has been using the BMO Field as the unofficial home of the national rugby team since 2011. It was the setting for a Rugby World Cup 20 warm-up fixture between Canada and the USA a month before the tournament and it hosted the USA again in 2013 in the match that confirmed Canada´s qualification for Rugby World Cup 2015. In addition to playing host to the Maori All Blacks earlier today it also hosted Ireland in June 2013 and Italy one year earlier.

Canada will be certain to focus all its attention on the fixture and will be looking for another sell-out crowd. As it did against Italy and Ireland, Canada will be looking to win the match in an effort to knock-over a Tier One side. Canada does have history on its side as of the four tests played between Canada and Scotland previously there have been split results with both countries winning two test matches each. Canada won in Saint John in 1991 and in Vancouver in 2002 while Scotland won in Edinburgh in 1995 and Aberdeen in 2008.

Scotland is expected to play three tests in June 2014 with the Europeans set to fly to Argentina after playing the Toronto test match for a one-off test. It is yet to be confirmed by either the SRU or the UAR. Before hosting Scotland Argentina is expected to host Ireland for two test matches making it a similar home series to that of June 2013 which saw Georgia play a test in San Juan after England had played in Salta and Buenos Aires.